If you have been following our Solutions to Textile Waste Series then you’ll know that I am not a fashionista and I only own 2 pairs of heels. You’ll also know that, on average Australians buy 56 new items of clothing per year.
To help inspire you to buy less or not buy ‘new new’ clothes, let’s look inside my wardrobe.
So how many pieces of clothing do I own TOTAL in my whole house?
Including things like winter coats, rain jackets and work clothes. But not including underwear or accessories.
Note that, I can mostly wear my own clothes for work (I do have 3 branded t-shirts) and I have separate clothes for working in the garden or volunteering in the local reserve so that I don’t trash my nice clothes! A lesson that was hard learnt after having ruined lots of nice pieces. All these items are included in the audit.
| Wardrobe audit | That I don’t wear! | That I’ve since moved on | |||
| Singlets/vest tops | 12 | ||||
| T-shirts | 11 | ||||
| Smart tops | 7 | ||||
| Cardigans | 7 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Jumpers/Hoodies | 8 | ||||
| Jackets/Coats | 3 | ||||
| Jeans | 3 | ||||
| Trousers (not jeans) | 7 | 4 | |||
| Leggings | 4 | ||||
| Shorts | 4 | 1 | |||
| Skirts | 0 | ||||
| Dresses | 8 | 1 | |||
| All in one/jumpsuit | 4 | ||||
| Specialist Clothes | |||||
| Sleeping | |||||
| PJ tops | 10 | 2 | 2 | ||
| PJ bottoms | 7 | 1 | |||
| Dressing gowns | 6 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Work shirts | 3 | ||||
| Exercise clothes | |||||
| Shorts | 1 | ||||
| Leggings/joggers | 6 | ||||
| Swimmers | |||||
| Bikini top | 2 | ||||
| Bikini bottoms/shorts | 2 | ||||
| Swim costume | 2 | 2 | |||
| Rashie | 2 | ||||
| Gardening / Animal care / Dirty clothes | |||||
| Dress | 4 | ||||
| Singlet | 4 | ||||
| T-shirt | 5 | 1 | |||
| Jumper | 2 | ||||
| Shorts | 2 | ||||
| Trousers | 7 | ||||
| Cold weather / sailing clothes | |||||
| Trousers | 2 | ||||
| Shorts | 2 | ||||
| Top | 1 | ||||
| Thermal top | 1 | ||||
| Thermal bottom | 1 | ||||
| Trainers/running shoes | 6 | ||||
| Boots | 3 | 1 | |||
| Other shoes | 6 | ||||
| Gardening shoes | 3 | 1 | |||
| Thongs | 1 | 1 | |||
| Slippers | 1 | ||||
| Walking boots | 1 | ||||
| Gumboots | 1 | ||||
| Totals | 172 | 21 | 6 | ||
| Left in my wardrobe | 61 | 15 |
What did I learn?
So a total of 172 items of clothing, I guessed less than 100! Although to be fair, I hadn’t realised quite how many clothes I’ve kept for gardening/animal care – they’re way too worn out to donate and so I’m just wearing them until they fall apart. During the audit I found 11 items, I realised I didn’t wear and didn’t need and so donated them to an op shop easily. I wasn’t surprised there are items I don’t wear – I knew that.
I am surprised that I didn’t immediately feel I could donate some of the items I don’t wear. Some of them are useful and I will wear them (I believe!). The others I have reversed the hangers and if I don’t wear them by the end of this year I will donate them, because although I do like them and they fit, I clearly don’t like them as much as some of my other clothes and so I never get around to wearing them. 15 items I don’t wear is too many to have in my wardrobe.